Universal bearing



R. T. REESE UNIVERSAL BEARING Oct. 6, 1953 Filed July 10, 1952 v INVENTOR. lQ/cmmo 7T ESE Patented Oct. 6, 1953 PATENFTF'" BEARING- Rioharde'l Reese, Van Nuya calif-d Alpplioationflifly 10,j1952, Serial N6". 298E070" 8 Glail'nst: (Cl. 3081-72) This inventionirelates to and' has forarr objectthe provision of a self aligning beanirfg of tlie balli and: socket? type Which readily: adjusts itself to any: slight misalignmentwait another or other" bearings adapted to support azshaft or: rod; and is'zsiinple; efie'ctive and economical in east? more: specific; object is to provide a univer' sally adjustable bearing: embodying a stationary" socket: member formed withair annular body adapted' to be press fitted into' a I here ofif a support and having a': spheroidal-socket open air-one side'- of the; body atleast and provided witli in ternal threads" at said opening; and a spheroidal member axially bored to rotatably or fiiredly re'-- ceive; a: shaft o'r ro'd and externally threaded on the equatorial are right angularly relative to said bore" so that it ma be screwed intoand removeoiiroin a seat in th'e' sobket memberwhen positioned s'o that tiie threadsthereon will mesh with the' threads on" thesocket member; andyet when seated in the: socket' an'd the bore thereinis coaxial that of the soelret or everri'n-- clined' to a substantial extent the spheroidal member win be: held against; detachment fromthe socket: member by: application of forces= in any direction ooai riailly of L thetwo member-s:

It -is well k-tiowir that in the installatien of line"- shafting, for'e'iiampleefon operating'b'otli large afid -s'rnall maehines, ana alsoi'n control lines for mechanisms" recisiom and accuracy" in align-- merit of bearings-is necessary-to optimum operanon;- diirability of insl'fallat/ions and economy: Hereto'fdre; bearingssuchas pillow blocks and other types ha ving separable parts have required excessive labor and time and in spite of extreme care installations have" been faulty and have cas'i'onedexcessive service and attention in" order to obtain even' mediocre satisfa'ct'ion and? efiifciency inoperation.

Hence, it is an over alland important object to provide a universally adjustable bearing embodying biit' twoparts, one of which is self adj'us'ti'n'g relative to' and is quickly attachable to and removable" from the other part Without employment of bolts or screws and which are" so arranged that when the" hearing. member is mounted in the socket member it is freely self adjusting for the purpose of alignment with a similar member" of another bearing for operatively supporting a shaft or red with a minimum of care and precision.

In consideration of this invention I refer to Letters Patent of the United States, No 2,531,892 granted to me on November 28, I950 for a bolt and nut fixture which is a forerunner of my present invention and discloses a somewhatasimilar deviee' adapted for. adifferent; purpose: but

nevertheless' illustratingzthezbroadioonceptz'otzthei drawing; in which? Fig. l is a.perspectivmexplodediView;:

Fig. 2'lis' a .diametrieals. sectional: v iewrwith. the; two membersiof the uniti irr coaxiahrelationshin;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the inneli or bearing. memberidisposedzat ant; extreme an l relative to: thesonket: memben;

Fig. is'laniend; view: ofrtl'leiunitg:

Fig: 5 is aisidenview ofJthe unit}: and:

Fig: 6 isiaiseotionaliviewdmaidiameti hallhlanfi showing .theibearihgmembfir disnosedf. i tioniinto. theesoekeememben whereat the? .Q i f; the? twcr: members are; right; angulalily disposed;

The; complete? unit; innludes: oniye an? annular socket member A. and inner: spheroidal; bearing; memberrBi whichienpunposez of reference herein is:termedkabalk.

MIem-hen'Aa referable-but not necessarily'is of: annular; form so: as to tightlyfit; into a: bone a. support (not; shown)? whereby the bearing: is;

I anchored and: has; an. crooning: thereinawitii spheroidal surface 2,. with: internal thread 3: formed at one or both ends thereof adiia ent .1.1 1 opening: 0., Usualln only; onezthread'. it isinequire 'IFhe-e surface 2-: extends enuidistantly; in; opposite directions; from. the: equatorial; plane of member A andamay' approximate iii-wid h: tram one. fourth to. one think of. the diameter of? surface 2.

Member Ewhilespheroidal is almost spherieal and has aneqiiatoriai. bore 4; therein. whieh at its open: ends; defines the: spheroidieityv of: said mean-- ben- 13.. Member B has; a, spheroidal suriaee 5 eomplemental. to and eneeaeable with sui -ate 2 or member Ar when: the: members A. and: B are disposed: as shown Fi .5.. 2. and- 3; else formed on an; equatorial area: of? itsioutersugvfaee with afew threads 6;: formed entangle of 9,0 or less" relative: tea; diametrica]; plane, so. that when the ball.- B is disnosed with; its bore 4 at, right. angles with respect to the opening member A; and the: ball is rotated it m y he, serew cl: into opening any reason of the en ag m nt of hreads;

e on the hall with th thread 3 onmemhert until: the threads are disengagedt At time. the hotel will crosswise oienemne G: and-the ball may; be turned in said; opening until bore 4. ree ss.

ters with opening C and the surface 5 of ball A will engage surface 2 of the socket. Obviously, the surface 5 being of greater diameter than the thread 3, the ball may not be pulled or pushed outwardly from the socket by forces applied axially or diametrically in any direction. However the ball A is free to turn in the socket to a maximum extent determined by the size of opening C as shown in Fig. 3, to dispose the bore 4 for receiving a shaft or rod (not shown).

Essentially I have provided a simple but effective bearing which is self adjusting and self alignable with other bearings or parts for operatively supporting a shaft or rod, and embodies but two members which are readily attachable and separable without the employment of bolts, nuts and tools and then only for purpose of installation, service or replacement, and which otherwise is adaptable for use under varying conditions of operation.

I claim:

1. A universal bearing comprising: a first member having a spheroidal open socket and formed with internal threads adjacent the opening of said socket, and a second member of spheroidal form diametrically bored and having external threads on its equatorial area extended at a right angle relative to said bore and adapted to mesh with the threads on said first member when the bore of the second member is disposed at aright angle relative to the socket of the first member for attaching and detaching said members by rotation of one member relative to the other.

2. A universal bearing comprising: a first member having a spheroidal open socket and formed with internal threads adjacent the opening of said socket, and a second member or" spheroidal form diametrically bored and having external threads on its equatorial area extended at a right angle relative to said bore and adapted to mesh with the threads on said first member when the bore of the second member is disposed at a right angle relative to the socket of the first member for attaching and detaching said members by rotation of one member relative to the other, said second member having spheroidal surfaces on opposite sides of its threads complemental to and engageable with the speroidal surface of said socket when the bore of the sec- 0nd member is coaxial with the socket of the first member.

3. A universal bearing comprising: a first member having a spheroidal open socket and formed with internal threads adjacent the opening of said socket, and a second member of spheroidal form diametrically bored and having external threads on its equatorial area extended at a right angle relative to said bore and adapted to mesh with the threads on said first member when the bore of the second member is disposed at a right angle relative to the socket of the first member for attaching and detaching said members by rotation of one member relative to the other, the threaded portion of said first member being of less diameter than the equator of said socket and said second member, whereby to prevent detachment of said members by forces axially applied thereto.

4. A universal bearing comprising: member formed with a spheroidal socket open socket, said second member having an equatorial bore therein for receiving a shaft or rod and external screw threads disposed at an angle from the axis of said bore and adapted to mesh with the threads on said first member for attaching and detaching said members.

5. A universal bearing comprising: a first member formed with a spheroidal socket open on opposite sides of its equator and screw threaded at said opening, and a second member formed with a spheroidal surface complemental to and fitting the spheroidal surface of said socket, said second member having an equatorial bore therein for receiving a shaft or rod and external screw threads disposed at an angle from the axis of said bore and adapted to mesh with the threads on said first member for attaching and detaching said members, the threads on said members being disengaged when the second member is rotated so as to position the bore of the second member in registration with the opening to said socket.

6. A universally adjustable bearing comprising: a first member having a spheroidal socket with a central opening at a side thereof formed with an internal screw thread around said opening, and a second spheroidal member having a diametrical bore therein for receiving a shaft or the like and also having external screw threads on its equatorial area adapted to mesh with the screw thread on said first member only when the bore of the second member is disposed with its axis at a right angle to the opening of the first member.

7. A universally adjustable bearing comprising: a first member having a spheroidal socket with a central opening at a side thereof formed with an internal screw thread around said opening, and a second spheroidal member having a diametrical bore therein for receiving a shaft or 1 the like and also having external screw threads on opposite sides of its equator and screwthreaded at said opening, and a second member formed with a spheroidal surface complemental to and fitting the spheroidal surface of said on its equatorial area adapted to mesh with the screw thread on said first member only when the bore of the second member is disposed with its axis at a right angle to the opening of the first member, the threaded area of the second member being of equal extent on opposite sides of the equator of the second member.

8. A universally adjustable bearing comprising: a first member having a spheroidal socket with a central opening at a side thereof formed with an internal screw thread around said opening, and a second spheroidal member having a diametrical bore therein for receiving a shaft or the like and also having external screw threads on its equatorial area adapted to mesh with the screw thread on said first member only when the bore of the second member is disposed with 1ts axis at a right angle to the opening of the first member, said second member having spheroidal surfaces on opposite sides of its threaded area and said first member having mating surfaces inwardly of its screw thread when because of greater diameter than the opening in the first member when said surfaces are engaged, prevents separation of said two members while the opening of the first member and the bore of the second member are in registration.

RICHARD T. REESE.

Name Date Keahey Aug. 9, 19%9 Number 

